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Juniper boss exits after board probes his 'leadership and conduct'

'Customer negotiation' queried

Juniper Networks CEO Shaygan Kheradpir has walked the plank and its R&D boss Rami Rahim has been elevated to take his place.

In a carefully-worded statement, the company says merely that the board reviewed Kheradpir's “leadership and his conduct in connection with a particular negotiation with a customer”.

“The board and Kheradpir have different perspectives regarding these matters,” the statement notes, which presumably means Kheradpir didn't think he should step down but the board did.

Kheradpir had spent just shy of ten months in the role, having taken the corner office in January to replace Kevin Johnson in the wake of the activist hedge fund Elliot Management, which imposed US$160 million in cuts and shareholder payouts of at least US$3 billion on the company.

Kheradpir's reorganisation of Juniper had improved its profitability in the face of static revenues.

Rahim is a 17-year veteran of the company and one of the architects of its flagship MX router product. The company says the change at the top won't result in any changes to its financial statements. ®